Oliver Stone has apologised for his criticism of the Greta Gerwig-directed blockbuster Barbie as “shit” and “part of this infantilisation of Hollywood”, saying that he now “appreciated the film for its originality and its themes”.
Stone was addressing a report from Deadline published on Sunday, which had brought to light remarks he had given during an interview with City AM in June of 2023, just before Barbie was set to premiere. In the City AM interview, Stone stated, “Ryan Gosling is wasting his time if he’s participating in that type of work solely for financial gain. He ought to focus on more substantial films and not contribute to the Hollywood trend of infantilization.”
Stone stated that the current trend in media is focused on fantasy, particularly in war depictions.
On X (previously known as Twitter), Stone stated in a post that he had not encountered Barbie when he made the remarks and had limited information about the project other than its name.
He continued by stating, “I had the opportunity to watch Barbie at a theater in July and I really enjoyed the movie for its uniqueness and themes. The approach taken by the filmmakers was not what I anticipated, but I apologize for my ignorant comments.”
He stated: “The success of Barbie at the box office greatly lifted the spirits of our company, which was very much appreciated. I extend my well-wishes to Greta and the rest of the Barbie team for their potential success at the Oscars.”
Source: theguardian.com
